Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,429 in South Korea versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in South Korea versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in South Korea versus $1,549 in China.

Living in South Korea is roughly 101% more expensive than in China on average.

South Korea (7% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

South Korea ($1,229–$1,770) and China ($533–$1,212) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₩10.4K

$2.77 ¥18.72

159.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.49 ₩62.8K

$24.05 ¥162

80.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 ₩8,248

$4.73 ¥31.93

20.72%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩5,303

$3.08 ¥20.78

19.16%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₩2,272

$0.44 ¥3.00

256.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,126

$0.29 ¥1.98

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ₩5,243

$1.01 ¥6.80

259.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 ₩7,060

$2.08 ¥14.03

135.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩3,181

$1.83 ¥12.39

20.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,422

$1.62 ¥10.94

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 ₩4,479

$0.97 ¥6.58

219.59%

Eggs

$2.95 ₩4,263

$1.61 ¥10.90

83.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 ₩20.0K

$13.34 ¥90.1

3.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 ₩13.6K

$3.37 ¥22.75

179.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.00 ₩43.3K

$10.68 ¥72.2

180.90%

Apples (1kg)

$7.89 ₩11.4K

$1.81 ¥12.26

335.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩5,137

$1.25 ¥8.44

184.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 ₩8,432

$1.46 ¥9.88

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 ₩9,136

$1.15 ¥7.73

450.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,490

$0.73 ¥4.92

420.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 ₩4,243

$0.89 ¥5.99

230.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 ₩3,552

$0.60 ¥4.05

310.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₩1,739

$0.53 ¥3.59

126.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩4,819

$3.39 ¥22.93

-1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₩21.6K

$11.73 ¥79.3

27.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₩2,930

$0.77 ¥5.23

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₩4,235

$1.63 ¥10.98

79.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,572

$0.41 ¥2.77

165.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.70 ₩67.4K

$21.24 ¥143

119.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ₩4,644

$1.35 ¥9.13

138.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩827

$0.36 ¥2.40

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 ₩12.6K

$6.70 ¥45.26

30.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₩1,718

$1.18 ¥7.98

0.85%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K ₩39.6M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

38.70%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.3K ₩35.1M

$16.5K ¥111.7K

47.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 ₩243.3K

$51.7 ¥349

225.71%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$41.27 ₩59.6K

$10.09 ¥68.2

309.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.12 ₩31.9K

$11.38 ¥76.9

94.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ₩76.6K

$39.24 ¥265

35.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 ₩29.0K

$14.84 ¥100

35.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 ₩15.7K

$6.30 ¥42.56

73.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$383 ₩552.2K

$414 ¥2,795

-7.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K ₩33.5M

$17.4K ¥117.6K

33.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ₩83.1K

$46.77 ¥316

23.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 ₩69.4K

$33.08 ¥223

45.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 ₩116.0K

$70.9 ¥479

13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₩157.8K

$74.5 ¥503

46.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₩885.6K

$440 ¥2,972

39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩588.9K

$253 ¥1,707

61.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 ₩2.3M

$911 ¥6,153

73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₩1.4M

$531 ¥3,584

84.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K ₩20.8M

$4,778 ¥32.3K

201.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,535 ₩10.9M

$2,403 ¥16.2K

213.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,161 ₩3.1M

$1,058 ¥7,144

104.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.06

3.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Korea: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $457 in South Korea, $287 in China. Capital cities: $964 in Seoul vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,951 in South Korea, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 90% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 128% higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Korea vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,500 in South Korea, there's a 72% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Korea is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in South Korea it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; South Korea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.